French judokate and Olympic medalist Madeleine Malonga, visiting the Var, reveals her sabbatical year project

Although she suffered a defeat as soon as she entered the competition as an individual, Madeleine Malonga (30 years old, -78kg) still won team gold at the Paris Games (without fighting), last August. Headliner of the Saint-Maximin Martial Arts Gala, the Ile-de-France resident received the City medal on Friday before meeting, with a radiant smile, the young people of the town. Saturday, as part of the gala, the champion led a mass training session and took the time to respond to us.

What assessment do you draw from these Olympic Games?

In the end, it was very cool. The feeling is special with on one side, individual disappointment and on the other, team pride. This Olympics was very difficult, I had to look for my place, the year which preceded was complicated but I experienced these Games with my loved ones, brothers, sisters, parents, my darling… Everyone gave me accompanied until the end, we really experienced these Games together.

And since then?

I took some time for myself, in order to keep in shape, I started running, I just did a 10km in Paris. I graduated in 2022 from the high school of business in individual coaching, there I registered in executive master in management and business coaching. I’m taking advantage of this year of respite. I would also like to relaunch my SM FLOW podcast (on personal development) which can be found on my Instagram account, I love this exercise.

I’m addicted to podcasts, that’s all I listen to. Mine will come back in 2025 for sure! Otherwise, I already resumed my usual training two weeks ago with my coaches Jean-Pierre Gibert and Ludovic Delacotte and from next year, I will reinvest fully for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. That’s the line of sight. It would be my third and last before devoting myself to my life as a woman, thinking about having children and why not launching my coaching business, following athletes.

Why this tour of France to meet the public?

To meet young people, they are the future and it’s great for them to meet champions. They are also at the origin of the success of the Paris Games. The French people supported us, the least we can do is come and show them our medal, say thank you. It’s a way of conveying the values ​​of our sport in an enjoyable way. Even if we are sometimes tired, this exercise is great. Today it lasted two hours, it could have been double, it’s a real pleasure.

This year, the Martial Arts Gala, organized for twenty-four years by Mansour Diaf at Cosec Leï Garrus in Saint-Maximin, once again benefited from the presence of a great champion. Madeleine Malonga succeeded Amandine Buchard (2021), Luka Mkheidze (2022) and Audrey Tcheuméo (2023).

Like every year, a mass training session open to licensees brought together more than sixty children and adults from across the region. In the afternoon, the children were given a signed photo of the champion. A memorable memory before the evening gala, the apotheotic conclusion of the evening that some would not have missed for anything in the world.

“I have been at the club since 2012 and I am present at every gala, it’s a dream,” tell Clara Boutie, a young graduate.

Mansour Diaf: “The naivety of the licensees is magnificent”

“When I was little, I told myself that maybe I could have the same career. Today, I’m 16, it’s probably too late but I compete and it’s still just as magical to meet these champions, the gala represents above all a pleasure of being together and representing your club. This year, it is even more beautiful after the Olympics in France.added Clara.

This evening, intended as a club celebration, has in fact every year a festive aspect well beyond the members, since many other associations (capoeira, boxing, taekwondo) are also invited to perform demonstrations. And since there are more than just combat sports in life, Mansour took care to also invite dancers. The objective is simple: “Let everyone have fun”. “This gala is a way to break the routine, to share my values, particularly with children, he confided. Their naivety is magnificent to see, it’s just happiness. Madeleine is the fifth champion to have participated in the Olympics that we are hosting, it’s a special day for all of us.”

And if the party continued a little late into the night, things returned to normal the next day at the club, after a day of competition in Istres.